The warehouse was spacious and clean, not far from the guesthouse where Yin Feng stayed. He wondered how Chen Feng had found such a place. The more time he spent with Chen Feng, the more Yin Feng realized his assistant’s remarkable capabilities.

Not only did Chen Feng attend to his needs with meticulous care and comfort, but he also handled various high-level relationships with the police department, publishing houses, and film companies. Chen Feng seemed to possess some mysterious methods, always delivering desired results without explaining the means.

Moreover, Chen Feng was utterly loyal. When Yin Feng secretly checked his company’s accounts, he found everything in perfect order. Chen Feng was clean and single-mindedly devoted to him.

Now, they sat on cargo boxes in the warehouse, facing five people Chen Feng had recruited.

Yin Feng looked them over, his disdain obvious: “Just these people?”

Chen Feng, ever the elite figure, appearing even more refined than his master, adjusted his glasses and said: “Teacher Yin, they’ve all been with you for many years. They’re reliable.”

Yin Feng remained silent.

They were all familiar faces, people who had been under his nose since his “rebirth”:

The driver was perpetually silent but imposing, with a large, strong build. Just from his appearance, Yin Feng could tell his self-control wasn’t strong, yet he somehow remained disciplined, serving as his driver.

The gardener, whom Yin Feng had only met two or three times. But when he first saw the Van Gogh-inspired floral arrangement in the garden, and the gardener’s gaunt, melancholic face, he knew there were many stories hidden within.

Then there was the old servant, whose body language and mannerisms betrayed indelible prison traces. Yet to outsiders, he appeared as just a perpetually smiling, simple old man tending to plants.

Even the illustrator and his favorite chef were present. Both were good-looking, gentle young men. But now, standing with the others, they immediately took on a certain group characteristic.

Yin Feng turned to Chen Feng: “Did I previously make a habit of taking in psychologically disturbed individuals? They’re everywhere.”

Perhaps unexpected by his comment, all five looked at Chen Feng. He merely smiled and said: “Not at all. They’re all people whose lives you saved, which is why they’re utterly devoted to you. Aren’t I the same? I’ve tried over ten ways to die, yet have I ever neglected my duties? Before, you had many things you wanted done but couldn’t do conveniently, so you had them do it. You can still command them now.”

The five just smiled the air quiet. Yin Feng suddenly felt a pressure in his chest, an indescribable sensation. He felt somewhat agitated, yet something seemed to be tempting him – a familiar feeling of self-indulgence. And he didn’t dislike it.

After some thought, he said: “Let’s do this: I’m looking for someone. I have their criminal psychological profile. If you can find them, I’ll believe you’re reliable and useful.”

While You Mingxu and her team were diving deep into the case following traditional methods, treating the criminal profile from Yin Feng and Fan Shuhua as a mere reference – a reference meaning they’d consider it seriously, then set it aside.

The detective team couldn’t spare additional manpower to investigate this lead, so Yin Feng decided to investigate himself. Now his “team” was finally assembled.

As Yin Feng left the warehouse, his phone rang. He stopped abruptly, his six subordinates halting behind him. Yin Feng quickly turned and made a silencing gesture before answering: “Hello, Ah Xu.”

“Have you eaten?” You Mingxu seemed to be in a noisy environment; Yin Feng could almost smell the street food around her.

He immediately replied: “Not yet.”

Her voice carried a smile: “Come over, I’ll send you the address. Just found a great place to eat.”

Yin Feng hung up, strode to the car, and got in, the driver quickly following suit. Chen Feng stood with the others, watching him leave.

The gardener lifted his eyelids: “Still fresh, isn’t it?”

The illustrator smiled: “Indeed, and it’s a female detective at that.”

The old servant said: “When will he return to normal? He’s gone completely mad.”

Chen Feng said coolly: “Focus on Teacher Yin’s assignment. And stop sending women to his bed like last time. At least for now, he and You Mingxu are serious. If you keep interfering, how will Teacher Yin ever get what he wants?”

—

Huaicheng displayed typical small-city characteristics – venture just a bit deeper into the city, and you’d find yourself immersed in local life. Yin Feng’s Bentley turned into a small street filled with shops and flowing crowds. Arriving at the place You Mingxu mentioned, he looked up to see “Zhou’s Preserved Pork Trotters Hotpot.” He wasn’t sure what kind of food this was, but if You Mingxu chose it, it must be good, despite the somewhat shabby storefront.

The driver said: “Teacher Yin, parking is difficult here, let me find…”

Yin Feng waved him off: “No need, you can go. Hurry and find the person I want. After dinner, I’ll walk back with Ah Xu.”

The usually stoic driver smiled slightly before following orders and leaving.

The small shabby restaurant surprisingly had three floors. Yin Feng climbed several floors of basic, seemingly unsanitary stairs to find private rooms above. He found the room You Mingxu mentioned and opened the door to find her smoking by the window. The white-tiled room had an old wooden table covered with a disposable plastic tablecloth, topped with a steaming hotpot emitting a unique aroma.

You Mingxu barely glanced at him, her phoenix eyes narrowed as she continued smoking.

At the small round table meant for four, Yin Feng sat beside her and, quick as an agile puppy, snatched her cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray.

You Mingxu glared at him.

He said: “The case isn’t solved yet, you can’t smoke endlessly. Be careful or you’ll get yellow teeth.”

You Mingxu shuddered and couldn’t continue smoking. She asked: “Where did you roam this morning? Your room was empty early on.”

Yin Feng answered righteously: “I was investigating the case!”

You Mingxu watched as the formerly pampered Teacher Yin, after several visits to small restaurants with her, now confidently picked up the teapot to rinse their disposable utensils, took out disposable chopsticks, smoothed their rough edges, sanitized them in hot water, and placed them before her.

She let him attend to her, and soon all the dishes arrived. She said: “Han Feng recommended this place, I’ve been wanting to try it. Let’s see how it is. Though he’s usually reliable.”

Yin Feng lowered his head, picked up some food with his chopsticks, and said nothing.

You Mingxu asked: “How’s your investigation going?”

Yin Feng answered: “The population density in that area is too high, with even more floating population. No results yet.”

You Mingxu nodded, as expected. This was why she always felt that criminal psychology was easy to talk about but difficult to implement.

One taste confirmed the rich aroma, with perfect tenderness. In this increasingly cold weather, eating hot preserved meat made their hearts feel warm.